Chicago WS - Seattle - 1 @ 1.53
For Seattle - Felix Hernandez, RHP (1-3, 5.06)
For CWS - Jose Contreras, RHP (4-0, 1.45)
Yes, Hernandez can strike hitters out. But the hard-throwing 20-year-old will have to be more of a pitcher than a thrower against the defending World Series champs. Chicago hitters will try to work deep into counts and rattle the young hurler; in turn, Hernandez needs to maintain his composure and use his fastball judiciously.
Contreras will be gunning for this 13th straight regular-season victory. The big-right hander is now tied with Jim Kaat for the fourth longest win streak in White Sox history. He hasn?t lost a regular-season game since Aug. 15. In his last start against the Angels, he went 8 1/3 innings allowing one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out four. He has allowed just four runs in his last 36 1/3 inning (0.99 ERA).
NY Mets - Pittsburgh - 1 @ 1.45
For Pittsburg - Paul Maholm, LHP (1-3, 5.86)
For NY Mwts - Tom Glavine, LHP (3-2, 2.29)
Maholm will look to build on what was clearly his best outing of the season. On Saturday, Maholm held the Phillies to just one run over seven innings. After a rough early going, Maholm looks to have finally found the form that made him Pittsburgh's Minor League pitcher of the year in 2005. This will be Maholm's first career start against the Mets.
Glavine didn't pitch quite as effectively as the seven shutout innings against the Braves on Saturday suggest. But he had defensive support of his team and enough offense -- one run -- to succeed. Imagine what he could do with a four or five-run lead. The Mets have scored 14 runs in his six starts. Maybe the Pirates staff is the answer.
Boston - Toronto - 1 @ 1.60
For Toronto - Josh Towers, RHP (0-5, 10.45)
For Boston - Matt Clement, RHP (2-2, 6.14)
Towers has struggled with giving up runs early in his starts. In his last 16 innings -- a span of four outings -- Towers has given up 20 runs. Out of those, 17 runs have come in the first or second inning -- 11 by way of home run. Towers gave up seven runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings against the Yankees on Saturday. On April 11, Towers took the loss to the Red Sox after giving up four runs on eight hits in six innings at Fenway Park.
Clement has labored through his last two starts, allowing a combined seven runs (six earned) on 15 hits in 10 1/3 innings. In his last start, Tampa Bay caught him for four runs in the first two innings of a 5-2 loss, but he settled down after that, allowing just one hit and no earned runs over the next four innings. The right-hander has struggled a bit against the Blue Jays in the past, going 1-3 for an 8.44 ERA in six career starts against Toronto.
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